Businessman jailed for forging President''s signature

By Betty Amamukirori 

BUGANDA Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded a city businessman, Ellady Muyambi, to Luzira prison for forging the President Yoweri Museveni's signature. 

It is alleged that Muyambi in January 25, 2010, authored a document bearing President Museveni’s names and signature, addressing it to the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, detailing the problems Uganda was facing. 

It is purported that in the same letter Muyambi, in the guise of the president, sought for Gaddafi’s help against his (Museveni’s) opponents.

Gaddafi died on October 20, 2011 during the battle of Sirte. He was found hiding in a drain west of Sirte and captured by National Transitional Council (NTC) forces. He was killed shortly afterwards.

The NTC claimed he died from injuries sustained in a firefight when loyalist forces attempted to free him, although videos of his last moments showed rebel fighters beating him before he was shot several times. 

Muyambi 39, from Mukubira A Zone Kawempe Division, Kampala is also accused of promoting sectarian ideas among the citizens of Uganda.

Court documents alleged that he with others still at large between 2012 and 2015, authored two documents with the intent to promote sectarianism.

In one of the supposed documents, he was asking people whether Ugandans understood the President’s real mission or not. He went ahead to allegedly detail how all the government programs are geared towards benefitting the Bantu tribes from Western Uganda.

According to the police charge sheet, these words are aimed at inciting sectarian thinking among the other tribes from central, North and Eastern Uganda. The documents were purportedly written from Kiwonvu Zone Kalerwe in Kawempe Division.

He was arraigned in court and charged with two counts of promoting sectarianism and forgery, by the grade one magistrate Mary Kaitesi. He denied the charges and was remanded to Luzira prison.

Efforts by his lawyer, Charles Nsubuga to secure his bail were futile because he had forgotten to carry his practicing certificate.

Muyambi was arrested and detained at the CIID headquarters Kireka on June 8, 2015. Kaitesi has adjourned the matter to July 1 for bail application.